Container for yarn packages



Oct. 13, 1953 L. G. HARRAWAY 2,655,019

CONTAINER FOR YARN PACKAGES Filed Aug. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l O 1953L. G. HARRAWAY 2,655,019

CONTAINER FOR YARN PACKAGES Filed Aug. 28, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3.

Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August28, 1950, Serial No. 181,767 In Great Britain April 22, 1949 Thisinvention concerns an improved container for yarn packages particularlysuitable for a straight bar knitting machine adapted to produce ladiesfully fashioned stockings. In such machines yarn is usually supplied bya plurality of yarn packages each on a vertical axis, the yarn beingdrawn ofi intermittently with a rest period between successive courses.During the rest period lengths of the yarn may fall below the bases ofthe packages and in this event the disadvantage exists that the yarn maybreak when knitting is resumed thereby causing a pressoff of thestocking.

An object of the invention is to overcome the above disadvantage andgenerally to provide an improved container for the yarn packages.

With this and other objects in view the inven tion provides a containerfor yarn packages, particularly one which is suitable for straight barknitting machines adapted to produce ladies fully fashioned stockings,having means for supporting at least one package in a horizontal orsubstantially horizontal attitude in the container, and means forguiding yarn from the package to the exterior of the container in suchmanner that the yarn is drawn from the package in a direction axially orsubstantially axially thereof. Conveniently a plurality of yarn packagesare supported by one wall of the container in such manner that eachpacket projects substantially horizontally from said wall. Any suitablethread guiding means may be employed such for example as a threadguiding eyelet (one for each package) mounted in that wall of thecontainer opposite the support wall and facing the free end of theassociated package. The container may be made of any suitable materialor materials and any or all of its walls may be transparent. There maybe also provided means associated with the container for conditioningthe thread or threads such for example as one or more trays containing asuitable liquid and/or a heating device lo cated in the lower part ofthe container. The packages may be arranged in rows with partitionsbetween the rows if desired which prevent the yarn from falling andbeing fouled by lower parts in the container. Partitions may be alsoprovided between successive packages in the rows. There may be furtherprovided an auxiliary container releasably connected to the maincontainer and housing additional yarn packages.

With advantage, the support means for the yarn package (Or each of them)is releasably connected to one of the walls of the container. Accordingo a subs diary feature of the inven- 10 Claims. (01. 66-125) tion, thesupport means consists of a device which is releasably attached to saidwall and is of such nature as to close a hole in said wall and said holebeing of sufficient size as to permit the passage of the yarn packagetherethrough. Specifically, the support means comprises a disc forclosing the hole in the wall, releasable connecting means for fixing thedisc in position, and a male support element (such for example as aspindle) for receiving the package, said male support element beingfixed to the inner face of the disc.

The above and other features of the invention are set forth in theappended claims and are disclosed in the detailed description given byWay of example of the particular embodiments illustrated in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a container according to thisinvention.

Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the container.

Figures 3 to 5 illustrate base supporting means in the container for ayarn package.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic representation illustrating a modifiedarrangement.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2 a container for yarn packagesparticularly suitable for a straight bar knitting machine adapted toproduce ladies fully fashioned stockings is provided, comprising a rearwall I, front wall 2, side walls 3 and top 5 all conveniently made oftransparent plastic material, and a base 4 made of any convenientmaterial. A plurality of yarn package supports is provided attached tothe said rear wall of the container and arranged to support the packageswith their axes substantially horizontal; for example there may beeighteen of such supports in three horizontal rows of six so that thecontainer may then carry eighteen packages and this is convenient fortwo divisions of the machine. Alternatively as shown the container mayhouse six packages 6 and an auxiliary container 1 (housing threepackages) may be also provided; this arrangement is suitable for onedivision of the machine.

In the front wall 2 there is provided one thread guiding eyelet 8 foreach yarn package and each eyelet is so located that it directly facesthe free end of the appropriate package.

Each package support conveniently consists of a spindle 9 (Figure 2)fixed by a screw II] to a disc H which has a bearing in and which closesa comparatively large hole l2 in the rear wall I of the cabinet (seealso Figure 3). Conveniently the size of each hole 12 is such as topermit not only a package 6 to be passed through it but also the handand arm of the operator for threading the yarn through the eyelet 8 inthe front wall of the container. The spindle 9 and disc ll may be fixedto the rear wall of the container by any suitable means such for exampleas by co-operating screw threads. Alternatively as shown in Figures 3and 4 the disc may have a hook-like catch l3 for having a releasablelocking engagement with a tapered lip 14 which is formed at theperiphery of the hole I2, the wall being formed with a slot I5 adjacentsaid hole to. permit. the required movement of the catch (by turning thedisc) into and out of engagement with the lip I 4. The disc isconveniently. turned by the aid of a rib 30 (Figures 4 and 5).

If the yarn package is cylindrical a friction applying leaf spring l6may be fixed to the'spindle 9 (Figure 2). If the package is a cone, atapered sleeve i! may be fitted on the spindle: (Figure 2) the conebeing received on the sleeve.

For conditioning the threads there is conveniently provided one or moretrays i8 resting on the base 4 of the container in the interior thereofand containing a suitable liquid. There may also be provided partitions19 which are conveniently perforated with holes 20 so that all thepackages are affected by the liquid in the tray I8.

The auxiliary container 1 is provided primarily for the purpose ofhousing packages that do not need conditioning by the liquid and it isconveniently fitted on the top of the main container by releasable meanssuch as the slotted brackets 2i and pegs 22.

In use the threads from the packages extend therefrom through theeyelets 8 in a substantially horizontal manner co-axial with thepackages and it will therefore be appreciated that during the aforesaidrest periods the threads cannot be fouled by the bases of the packages.Consequently the employment of a container as above de scribed permitsyarns and particularly nylon yarns to be used in a considerably moresatisfactory manner thanheretofore.

It will be understood that a plurality of the containers areconveniently provided disposed side by side and for. convenience ingaining access to both front and rear of the containers, particularly tothe lower parts thereof, the auxiliary containers 1 (and the upper partsof the main containers if desired) may he stepped as shown in Figure 6;alternatively appropriate parts of the containers may be inclined asshown in broken lines in Figure 6.

Conveniently the containers are mounted on supports such for example asupright boards (fixed to the machine) at elevated locations such thatthe threads may extend from. the cabinets directly into a yarnconditioning trough.

If desired as shown in Figures 1 and 2 the front and rear walls of thecontainer, the partitions and the yarn package supports (andconsequently the yarn packages) may be inclined to the horizontal.

I claim:

1. A container for yarn packages, particularly one which is suitable forstraight bar knitting machines adapted to produce ladies fully fashionedstockings, said container having a forward wall and a substantiallyvertical rear wall, means comprising said rear wall for releasablysupporting a plurality of yarn packages from said rear wall in ahorizontal or substantially horizontal position in the container, andmeans 1 forward wall for guiding yarn from the packages to the exteriorof the container in such manner that the yarn is drawn from the packagesin such direction substantially axially thereof.

2. A container for a plurality of yarn packages for a knitting machine,said container comprising a substantially vertical wall provided with aplurality of holes, each of the yarn packages being mounted on a devicewhich is releasably attached to said substantially vertical wall and isof such nature as to close one of the holes in said wall and said holesare of sufficient size as to permit the passage of each yarn packagetherethrough.

3. A container for a plurality of yarn packages fora knitting machinecomprising, in combination, a cabinet having a substantially verticalwalLone or. more holes in said wall of a suflicient size to permit theinsertion of the human hand, a disc forclosmg each hole, releasableconnecting means for fixing the disc in position and a male support.member for. receiving a package, said support member projecting. from.the inner face of the disc and supporting a package in the in terior ofthe cabinet.

4. A- container for a plurality of yarn packages for a knitting machinecomprising, in combination, a cabinet having a plurality of walls, therear one of. which is. substantially vertical, one or more of said wallsbeing wholly or partially transparent, one or more holes in said rearwall, a removable disc covering each hole, said rear wall having a slotadjacent each hole and each disc having a projection adapted to beengaged and disengaged with the slot by rotation of the disc, and a malesupporting member for a yarn package projecting from the inner face ofthe disc into the interior.

5. A container according to claim 4 adapted to receive yarn. packages ofcylindrical construction, wherein the male element has a frictionapplying member associated with. it. for en agement with said yarnpackages of cylindrical construction.

6.. A container according to claim 4 a p d to receive yarn packages ofconical construction, wherein the male element is in the form of aspindle and has mounted on it a tapered sl ev for receiving said. yarnpackages of conical con struction.

7. A. container according to claim 4 having means for conditioning theyarn disposed in the interior of the container.

8. A container for a plurality of yarn packages for a knitting machinecomprising in combination a cabinet having a vertical wall, a pluralityof holes in said vertical wall, a disc covering each hole, means forsupporting one of said yarn packages on said disc in the interior of thecabinet, and an eyelet in the wall of the cabinet opposite the wallsupporting the yarn package, said eyelets being located substantially inaxial alignment with the yarn packages.

9. A container for a plurality of yarn packages for a knitting machinecomprising in combination a cabinet having a vertical wall, a pluralityof holes in said vertical wall, one or more of said holes beingpositioned above one or more or the other holes, a disc covering eachhole, a supporting member from a package projecting from said disc intothe interior of the cabinet, means for releasably securing said disc inposition, a partition means positioned below the upper yarn packages toprevent the yarn from said upper packages fouling the yarn of the lowerpackages, eyelets in the wall of the cabinet opposite from thatsupporting the yarn packages, and said eye- 5 lets being in substantialaxial alignment with the yarn packages.

10. A container according to claim 4 having releasably fixed thereto anauxiliary container of a construction substantially like that of thefirst-named container.

LEONARD GEORGE HARRAWAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,255,858 Colman Feb. 12, 1918 Number Number 10 798,908

